September is springtime. But not usually synonymous with so much sun, stifling heat, storms … and snakes in letterboxes and handbags.
The extremely hot weather this week has brought snakes out into the open across the southeast corner a little sooner than expected.
Three people were hospitalised on Monday and Tuesday after being bitten by snakes, in one case by a deadly brown snake in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.
And with temps hovering around 40 degrees in Ipswich this week, be on the lookout for slithering snakes, including the Eastern Brown, Red Belly Black, Carpet Python and Green Tree varieties.
Goodna husband and wife Norman and Sally Hill run N & S Snake Catcher, serving the Ipswich, Brisbane and Logan regions, and they have been extra busy already.
Norm found this Eastern Brown, the second most venomous snake in the world, hiding in a woman’s wardrobe between her handbags at her Ipswich home on Monday.
And Wednesday, a local postman got the fright of his life when he lifted the lid on a mail box to deposit a parcel and found a rather large python hiding inside.
Watch the video above for the persistent postie’s full reaction. Norm saved the day and relocated the monster to nearby bushland at Swanbank.
“We have been very busy this week,” Sally said. “The hot weather is definitely bringing the snakes out. They will pop up anywhere and everywhere. And it is breeding season. They are looking for females and food.”
Sally said snakes liked to sun bake in the early part of the day, then disappear to a cooler place to avoid the extreme afternoon heat. Often that meant in the garage or inside the home.
“Our advice: don’t try to catch them, don’t try to direct them back outside,” she said. “Keep an eye on them, close the door if they are in a room and block the gaps with damp towels. And call us to come and remove them.”
The couple have operated their wildlife demonstrations and reptile parties for many years, but only recently started in the snake catching game.
“Some people think we do it for free and will come out any time of the night or day. We are certainly not expensive and will help some pensioners out, but it is our business and our livelihood,” Sally said.
The pair relocates snakes within 5-10kms of where they have been caught, in bushland and a suitable place where they are safe from traffic and other homes.
Council does not provide a snake-catching service. It advises residents to read the Queensland Government’s website.
Council’s new Conservation and Environment Committee Chairwoman Cr Kerry Silver admits to having a serious snake phobia, but respects their place in the ecosystem.
“On my 40th birthday we discovered that a carpet python was living in and around the beam under my house, all warm from the winter chill,” she said.
“He was at least 2m long, as the skin left behind measured close to that, and my neighbours told me it was well known a large python travelled up and down the hill of Riverview.
“My daughter refused to go under the house for years. Sadly, we think he grew that year based upon the disappearance of our cat.
“I never brought in a snake catcher because I figured he would move along when it warmed up and to this day I myself have never actually seen the snake.
“Unfortunately snakes have a bad rap, because let’s face it some are venomous and that increases our fear of them – even the little green tree snakes.
“I have a serious snake phobia. I tried holding one once for a photo while on holidays and the photo today even gives me chills.
“We need to keep in mind that we have built our homes around their natural homes and they don’t know not to go into another person’s backyard.
“It looks like it will be a long hot summer, so minimise the chances of snakes in the backyard by keeping grass mowed and reducing places for them to live, such as wood piles and old iron sheets, and keeping a watch on bird aviaries and chicken enclosures.
“In saying that, snakes are likely to just pass through your yard or they could be on your morning walk. Be aware of your surroundings and take calm reactive steps to remove yourself from the snake’s environment.
“If it is your home or yard you may need to call a snake catcher, who will relocate the snake from your home to a more suitable location.”